by Shirin Ebadi – Nobel Peace Prize in 2003
Today, Iran is entangled in two wars. The first is with the United States and Israel; its second phase began on February 28, 2026. There is, however, another war – one that has been ongoing for years between the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran, a conflict in which no ceasefire has ever occurred.
Today, I will speak about this second war, as it has deep and longstanding roots. I will focus specifically on the first four months of 2026. In the early days of January, the people of Iran once again took to the streets, continuing a pattern seen repeatedly over the past 15 years, to protest against the governance of the Islamic Republic and to express their demand for change through peaceful means. The primary drivers of public discontent include the devaluation of the national currency, the rapid expansion of poverty, widespread and systematic human rights violations, and administrative corruption.
Protests took place in Tehran and in more than 400 other cities, where citizens openly voiced their opposition to the government. This provoked a strong reaction from the authorities. On the orders of the Supreme Leader, security forces used live ammunition against protesters, resulting in mass killings.
The scale of the tragedy was such that the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran described it as potentially amounting to crimes against humanity. The exact number of victims remains unclear; however, according to estimates by media outlets and human rights organizations, approximately 40,000 people were killed, including 230 students and around 100 child laborers. Since early January, more than 40,000 individuals are estimated to have been arrested. The majority have been accused of participating in protests, collaborating with hostile entities, espionage, or spreading false information. During this same period, more than 160 people were executed, at least 14 of whom were charged with political offenses. These cases were handled entirely behind closed doors, without access to legal counsel. To illustrate the scale of repression more clearly: during 38 days of military attacks by Israel and the United States on Iranian territory, 3,753 people were killed. Yet, in just three days during the January protests, the Islamic Republic killed many times that number.
From the beginning of January until yesterday, the government shut down international internet access since beginning of the war. During this time, footage and reports of killings and arrests were transmitted through a limited number of Starlink devices that had previously been brought into Iran. As a result, possession of such devices was declared by the authorities to constitute collaboration with hostile forces, and several individuals were arrested on this basis. The internet shutdown caused severe disruption to online businesses.
According to UNICEF, during the conflict with the United States and Israel, the Islamic Republic recruited children for mobilization campaigns and used them at street checkpoints, at least one child was killed in this context.
Finally, a number of individuals who had criticized the government, as well as those working with Persian-language media outlets abroad and some members of the Baha’i community, have had their assets confiscated. Recently, the names of 400 individuals connected to these measures were published.
In conclusion, it is important to note that in all of these instances, European governments have remained largely silent in the face of the Islamic Republic’s actions.
We are not only responsible for what we do and say, but also for our silence and inaction.
